Untitled
by Ruia
Summary: Link grows up after the events in OoT and meets an old new? friend. LinkSheik boyboy love


Title: Uh... title? -.- (I wanted to name it Fruitcake, but that only makes sense in my own weird head, so it shall remain nameless until I think of something. Sorry.)  
Author: Ruia  
Disclaimer: I wished I owned them, but I don't. ;; Also, as I haven't read much LoZ ficcage, any cliches contained within are solely a product of my own unoriginal-ness (and I apologize -.-).  
Rating: PG/PG-13ish  
Word count: 11,425 -.-;;; 

Link was starting to think he was crazy after all.

"What did you call me?"

"Uh... Zelda," Link said. He tried to wipe the skulltula blood off his cheek, but only succeeding in smearing it across his skin. He shifted uncomfortably and tried again. "Princess Zelda?"

The man- woman, really, Link tried to remind himself- gave Link a blank look out of his visible eye. "Do I look like the princess?"

"...Yes?" Link began to doubt himself. Then it occurred to him that maybe the princess wanted to stay undercover, and Link corrected himself. "No, you don't. Sorry. It's Sheik, right?"

Sheik's eye narrowed. "How do you know my name?" he asked.

"Because..." Link trailed off with a frown. As the seventh sage, Zelda remembered everything that had happened in the future that never was. The fact that the sages retained their knowledge of the future that Link had saved was sometimes the only thing that kept him from thinking that he had dreamed the entire ordeal up. But then Zelda would have to know that Link knew she was Sheik, so why was she acting like they had never met? "Don't you remember when we first met? At the Temple of Time?"

"I have never been to the Temple of Time," Sheik said.

"Maybe not now... but you were... in the..." Link was unsure what to do with the blatant refusal to acknowledge him. It hurt slightly to have someone he considered a friend pretend not to know him, but surely the princess had her own reasons for acting this way.

"I think you should leave," Sheik said.

"What?" Link said.

"Leave," Sheik repeated. He walked over to the corpse of the fallen skulltula and collected his needles from its body. "The woods are full of skulltula and deku scrubs. I do not want you to be caught by surprise again."

Link looked slightly embarrassed. The sword he was carrying now was not as well-made as the Master sword, but it got the job done and he had more than enough experience fighting such minor monsters. "I've been in these woods plenty of times... I was just caught off-guard."

"Then, again, I suggest you leave before you get much further and wolves catch you off-guard as well," Sheik said.

"I can handle it," Link said. He scuffed his boots on the ground and tried wiping the blood off of his cheek again. Maybe the princess had a reason for wanting to be here alone. "It's going to get dark soon. You're not going to be out much later, are you? You have somewhere to go, right?"

"Yes," Sheik said. He finished wiping his needles off and put them away.

"Okay... I just think you should be careful," Link said. He stepped back, a little wary about leaving the princess alone in the woods.

"You are the one that should be careful," Sheik said. A deku nut appeared in Sheik's hand, and Link wasn't entirely sure where he pulled it from.

"Wait-" Link had to cover his eyes and hold his breath against the light and smoke. When he could finally look up again, Sheik was gone.

pt. 2

The castle needed better guards.

Link decided that he should suggest to Zelda one day that her first act when she became Queen should be to retrain her guards. Not now, though. He did not visit her that often, but when he did, Link enjoyed the ease with which he snuck into the castle. Ganondorf was gone and very few people knew that it was because of Link; the King was not included in that select circle. To the King, it just would have been very suspicious if he knew that a strange man from the forest came to visit his teenage daughter occasionally.

"Princess Zelda," Link whispered as he crept closer. He kept a wary eye out for her Sheikah guardian as he entered the courtyard where she still liked to spend her afternoons.

"Link?" The princess turned in surprise at his voice.

Link studied her carefully for a moment. It was barely three days after Link had seen Sheik in the forest, and he could not help but wonder if he had angered the princess somehow. He did not recall doing anything to deserve her ire; in fact, he had not been to visit her in months. Perhaps that was what she had been upset about? But he had taken longer absences from her presence in the past, and she did not look particularly upset with him now.

"Zelda," Link said. He walked over to her and dropped himself onto the ground beside her. The guards would not disturb them in the courtyard. "What are you doing?"

She picked up a daisy from the small pile gathered in her lap and began weaving the stem into the chain of flowers she was holding. "It is a wreath. Would you like to try?"

"I don't think I'd be very good at that," Link said. He was used to hacking and slashing; the intricacies of weapon wielding and fighting came naturally to him, but Zelda's work looked delicate to him. Link looked at his callus hardened fingers and thought that he did not have the fine touch required for the princess's work.

"You should try anyway," Zelda said. She put her chain aside and picked up two flowers. Link watched in silent concentration as she showed him how to knit the green stems together.

"Here." Zelda handed the two flower chain to Link and gave him the flowers in her lap. "Use these."

Link nodded and clumsily took over her work. He watched her pick more of the flowers in front of them. She seemed calm and serene after her initial surprise; it was as if no time had passed between their last visits. Link was not sure what to think, so he cleared his throat to interrupt her. "Uh, Zelda?"

"Yes?" She glanced over at him and began to weave her new flowers into her chain.

"Are you... mad at me?" Link asked.

Zelda paused in her work briefly. She frowned at Link. "Why would I be mad at you?" she asked.

"I don't know, actually. But I thought you were before. You acted like you didn't know me." Link's fingers tightened around the flower stem, and he snapped it off.

"You need to use a lighter touch," Zelda said. She put her work down once more to instruct Link. She pulled the broken flower from his chain and helped him to add a new third flower to it. Her fingers were ungloved and soft against his hand. "When did I pretend not to know you?"

"A few days ago. I saw you in the forest dressed up like Sheik," Link said. Zelda's fingers stopped him from breaking the stem of another of his flowers.

"I was not in the forest a few days ago," Zelda said. "I have not left the castle. Impa can verify that for me."

"Oh." Link's shoulders slumped slightly, and Zelda pulled her hands away to return to her own flower creation. "I'm sorry. But I did see Sheik there."

"Sheik," Zelda said thoughtfully. "A young Sheikah with blond hair and red eyes, correct?"

"Yes," Link said. His eyebrows drew together. "Sheik is your other form. Well, he was. You used your magic to make yourself look like the last Sheikah so you wouldn't be caught, remember?"

"I remember the future you experienced in dreams," Zelda said. "Sometimes, it is a little unclear to me exactly what occurred. I do know that you are the Hero of Time, and that I sent you back permanently to regain your lost time after you rid that man from the future and the past. However, the details are blurry to me at times."

"I thought you just... knew," Link said. He stared down at his hands as he tried to work his fourth flower into the chain. "Sorry."

"You do not need to apologize," Zelda said. "It must be difficult to have experienced all that and have no one recall your great deeds."

"You remember," Link said. He smiled at her. "The other sages remember, too. I guess it's better this way. And seven years would've been a long time of my life to miss out on."

"I agree," Zelda said. Her eyes lit up a bit when she smiled at Link. She looked more like a young woman when she smiled than the dignified royalty that she was. Link thought she should smile more often. "Tell me about Sheik."

"Well, he- she- I mean, you... You helped me," Link said. "You taught me songs to warp so I could get around easier. And you gave me advice about what I was going to face if you knew."

"I see," Zelda said. She was quiet for a few minutes before she continued. "I do not think I was Sheik. Not the whole time, at least."

"What?" Link's fingers fumbled with the flower and he broke another stem. His brow furrowed, and he took another flower to try again.

"I dreamt about a young man with angry red eyes," Zelda said. She watched her fingers nimbly weave the flowers together and her voice was quiet. "Many brave Sheikah were killed protecting my family from Ganondorf. Soon, only Impa and a young man were left. Impa trained Sheik to protect me, and he spent his free time with me. I told Sheik about you, how we met and the things that you had done, and I told him that you would return one day as the Hero of Time and avenge Ganondorf's victims."

Link's cheeks felt hot. "Is that why he said I looked like the Hero of Time when he saw me?"

"Maybe," Zelda said. "I do not know." She smiled. "He was a lot better at making flower wreaths than you are."

"I didn't think I'd be good at it," Link said and ducked his head.

"It just takes practice."

Link fiddled with the stem of a flower. He had nearly broken it by the time he put his flower chain down and looked at Zelda. "How come you told me that you were Sheik if he's a different person?"

"I am not sure," Zelda said. She stared at the ground quietly for a few minutes, and then continued in a low voice. "I dreamt of blood."

"Blood?" Link's voice was concerned. His flowers were forgotten.

"I think that he was gravely injured," Zelda said. "A dark presence had attacked Impa's village... I am not sure what followed."

Link stared at the toe of his boot. He remembered the attack on Kakariko village before he had entered the Shadow temple. He also remembered that he had been knocked unconscious. "How come nobody told me? Why did you pretend to be Sheik?"

"I think that we were trying not to concern you with matters other than your main quest," Zelda said. "It was important that you defeat Ganondorf. That was the way to save the people of Hyrule. That was the way to save Sheik. I had been practicing my magic and had fortunately learned to copy appearances."

"So I guess everything after that was you," Link said.

"Yes," Zelda said. Link felt his hat being pushed off, and he looked up. Zelda settled her finished flower wreath over his hair. "Do not look so unhappy. You said that you saw Sheik a few days ago. He is fine. Maybe you can meet him again, if you would like. You can ask Impa about him."

"Thanks, Zelda," Link said. He smiled and stood up, grabbing his hat. "I'm going to find somewhere in the town to stay the night."

"Thank you for visiting," Zelda said. "Please, come again soon."

"I will," Link said. He walked to the entrance of the courtyard where Zelda's guardian appeared. She nodded at him in greeting, and then smoke filled the air around Link. He coughed and when he could see again, he was outside.

"Impa," Link said. "Before you go... Do you know Sheik?"

Impa raised her eyebrows at Link. "The Sheikah are not a large tribe of people."

"Is that a yes?"

"Indeed," she said. "Why don't you spend sometime in Kakariko? I will contact Sheik if you would like to see him again."

Link smiled at her and felt grateful. "Thanks."

pt. 3

Link opened his eyes groggily and pushed himself up in bed.

"Do you always sleep this late?"

Link jerked his head up and stared in surprise at the figure sitting across the room. He tried to kick off the sheet that was tangled around his legs as he rolled out of bed. His hand groped for a sword that he hadn't thought to keep by his side. "Who are you?"

"You knew my name before." The figure stood up. Link blinked the sleep from his eyes and recognized Sheik.

"Oh," Link said. "Sorry, you just surprised me."

"I know," Sheik said. He stared hard at Link, and Link became uncomfortably unaware that he was only wearing his white undershirt and pants. "You don't look like him."

"What?" Link asked. Sheik's voice startled him; he had been wondering how to ask Sheik to leave so Link could change.

"You don't look like him," Sheik repeated. "The Hero of Time. Impa visited me to explain what had happened."

"I don't?" Link tugged the sheet away from himself and tossed it on the bed. "You said I did once."

"That never happened," Sheik said.

"I guess not," Link said after a moment. His bare toes curled against the wooden floor, and he shuffled his feet. "Uh."

Sheik walked over to the small dresser. "I'll wait for you outside," he said and closed the door behind him as he left.

Link looked over at the dresser and felt his cheeks warm slightly. Sheik had dropped the drying flower wreath onto it that Zelda had given Link.

Link did not want Sheik to wait long for him, so he did his best to dress quickly. He washed his face and cleaned out his mouth with the stale, warm basin of water on the dresser. A small pack contained extra clothing, and he put on a new set of shirt and pants. The green tunic from yesterday was still serviceable, so he put that on over his clothing, cinching it around his waist with his belt. Link put on his sword and hopped slightly as he stuffed his feet into his shoes and stumbled out the door.

"You must be hungry," Sheik said. He was leaning against the wall next to Link's door.

"Huh?" Link turned around. "A bit. Are you hungry? I'll buy you breakfast."

"I already ate," Sheik said. "But we can go to get you something to eat."

"Thanks," Link said. "Just hold on a minute."

He dashed back into the room to retrieve his forgotten money pouch. He tied his wallet to his belt and grabbed his hat, tugging it over his messy hair. He pulled the door shut behind him as he walked back into the hallway and locked it. "I'm ready," Link said.

Sheik kept pace with Link as they walked down the hallway. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he remained silent. Link scuffed his boots against the ground and tugged on his tunic. "How come you came to see me?" he asked.

"You wanted to see me," Sheik said. His visible eye slanted toward Link. "Impa requested that I visit you in Kakariko village after she explained everything to me. Why did _you _want to see me?"

Link blinked a few times when they stepped outside. His eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light; due to Death Mountain and the layout of the village, the villagers were spared being blinded by the bright morning sun. "I don't know," he said.

"You asked me here for no reason?" Even if Link could not see Sheik's face, he could hear the annoyance building in his voice.

"No, that's not it," Link said. He frowned. "I think... Sorry. I just... I knew you."

"That did not happen," Sheik said.

"I know it didn't," Link said. "Not for you, at least. But it happened for me, even if everything's different now. You helped me... You were like a friend." Link paused then corrected himself. "You were a friend."

"Perhaps I was," Sheik said. "But I am not anymore. I do not know you now."

"That's it," Link said. He jumped on Sheik's words to help him explain what had caused Link to blurt out his request to Impa. "I used to know you, but I don't now. You helped me a lot, and I kind of want to get to know you again."

"You do?" Sheik sounded surprised and his eye widened. Link thought that Sheik must not have many friends to react like that.

Link gave Sheik his biggest smile. "Yeah, I do."

pt. 4

"What're you doing?" Link plopped gracelessly near Sheik. He steadied his breathing after having run across the bridges and along the shore of Lake Hylia to reach Sheik.

"How did you get here?" Sheik asked.

Link noticed Sheik put down a small chain of flowers. "I warped."

"You know the warp songs?" Link thought Sheik might have sounded slightly impressed.

"Yeah," Link said. "You... uh, the other you, that is, you taught them to me. It helped me a lot to get places quickly."

Sheik was silent for a few moments. "I taught you the warp songs?"

"Yeah, every time I found somewhere new. Well, outside of the temples, mostly." Link stared at Sheik curiously. "Don't you know the songs now?"

"No," Sheik admitted. "At a certain age, most Sheikah go to the Temple of Time and learn the Prelude of Light. Certain others learn the songs outside of a particular temple. Impa is one of the few Sheikah honored with the knowledge of all of the songs."

Link thought about that for a minute and frowned. "But you said that you never went to the Temple of Time."

Sheik looked away. "Is there anything that you asked me here to do?"

Link noticed that Sheik avoided his question. "Not really," he said. "I just wanted to spend time with you. We can go fishing or something?"

Sheik's head tilted up. "It is late for fishing."

"Maybe for the really good fish," Link said. "But the pond over there isn't that big, and there are always fish willing to bite."

Sheik stared at the island that Link pointed to and shook his head. He stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants. "We should do something else."

"If you want," Link said and scrambled up next to Sheik. "Uh... we could go around the fields... Have you ridden on a horse before?"

"...No," Sheik said. He shifted from foot to foot. "But there are two of us—"

"It's fine!" Link interjected. "Epona can carry us to Lon Lon Ranch and I'll borrow another horse from Malon."

Link pulled out an ocarina and started to play before Sheik could protest more. It was light brown and roughly cut, but the sound was clear. The notes joined together in a lazy tune that echoed against the rock walls. Sheik listened intently to the song and waited for something to happen. Link put down his ocarina.

"What was that for?" Sheik asked.

"I was calling Epona," Link said. "She can hear it anywhere."

"I see," Sheik said. He was watching Link's ocarina with what Link thought was interest.

"Here," Link said. He handed Sheik his ocarina. "Do you still play a harp?"

Sheik carefully turned the wooden flute over in his hands. "Every Sheikah learns to play a musical instrument from a young age. It is essential for using warp songs as transportation, and it is also an enjoyable way to pass free time."

"I'm not that good with it," Link said. He tucked his ocarina away when Sheik handed it back. "I learned a couple of songs with it, and Saria is trying to teach me more. She gave me my first ocarina and helped me to make this. You can play songs too, right? Maybe not the warp songs, but other ones, right?"

"Yes, but I do not have my harp with me," Sheik said.

A loud whinny drowned out whatever Link was going to say, and Epona ran up to them with her hooves pounding. She snorted and bumped her nose against Link in greeting. Link returned the affection and stroked her mane.

"This is Epona," Link said. "Malon lets me borrow her when I need to."

"I see," Sheik said. "Are you sure that you want to ride?"

"Sure, it's fun," Link said. He held onto Epona's reins and stroked her side. "Calm down, girl."

"We could walk," Sheik said.

"Traveling like that is slow," Link said. "It's easy. Just put your foot there and hop on."

Link tried to hold Epona steady as Sheik swung himself up clumsily. Epona had other ideas and whinnied loudly. She rose up on her back legs and kicked her front hooves.

"Epona!" Link pulled her down and tried to calm her. He kept a firm grip on her reins and turned to see if Sheik was hurt.

"Damn it!" Sheik was sprawled out on his rear. His hat was disheveled, and his normally high collar had crumpled down somewhat to reveal more of his face. An angry color rose in his smooth skin, and Sheik's eyes were narrowed. The top of his mouth was visible and curled, and Sheik let out a frustrated noise. "You had to ride the stupid horse, didn't you?"

Link stopped staring at the expressive face he usually could not see and winced at the Sheikah's obvious annoyance with him. "Don't say that about Epona. It's my fault, sorry. Epona usually only likes people who know her song, but I thought it'd be okay since you were with me."

Sheik stood up stiffly. He yanked his collar back up and fixed his hat. "I do not think," Sheik said in a hard voice while he dusted his pants off, "that we should go horse riding."

"Sorry," Link said. He scuffed his boot against the ground and stroked Epona's mane to keep her calm. "If we got another horse from the ranch, I bet it would be—"

"No," Sheik said. "I think I should leave. It will take me a while to reach home, and I have to be well-rested for watch duty tomorrow."

"Oh, I didn't know," Link said. His shoulders slumped. "If you have to leave, that's fine. Maybe I can meet you somewhere another day? Closer to where you live, maybe."

Sheik nodded slowly. "I have another day off in a few days," he said. "Where will you be residing? I will find you."

Link thought that he might like to visit Saria. He had not seen her in a while. "I live with the Kokiri. Do you know where it is? Is that close to you?"

Sheik's eyebrow rose; Link thought that he might have been surprised. "I know where the Kokiri live," Sheik said.

"Great," Link said. "I'll see you there."

pt. 5

"Hello!"

The sky was turning orange as Link rode into Lon Lon Ranch. His grip on Epona's reins slackened, and he let the horse lead them to Malon. Epona reached the gate of the horse corral quickly and greeted the girl enthusiastically.

"Hello," Link said. He smiled at Malon and swung off of Epona easily.

"I noticed Epona run off a few hours ago," Malon said. "I was wondering if you'd have her back before nightfall."

"Sorry about that," Link said. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything when I played her song."

"Epona's always happy to see you," Malon said. "I am too. What did you need Epona for?"

Link rubbed the back of his head. "I just wanted to go for a ride. Actually, I was planning on coming here with a friend and borrowing a second horse since he said he'd never ridden before."

Malon blinked and looked around. "How come you didn't?"

"Well, he had to go..." Link ducked his head guiltily. "I figured maybe Epona would walk us both here. He doesn't look that heavy and it would've been faster than us walking..."

"Oh," Malon said. She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at Link with wide eyes. "Epona didn't like that, did she?"

"No," Link admitted. "She knocked him off when he tried to get on."

"Epona!" Malon tried to give the horse a stern look, but Epona seemed unconcerned. "Oh, well. Sorry about that. I guess your friend isn't eager to try riding anymore, is he?"

"I guess not," Link said. "I feel bad... It's fun, and it's easier to get around than walking."

"You shouldn't have started him off with Epona," Malon said. "She's too picky about who rides her."

"I noticed," Link said. "Maybe if you let me borrow a really gentle horse, I can get him to try again?"

"Maybe," Malon agreed. She smiled mischievously and her eyes lit up. "But first, you have to beat my challenge, Fairy Boy."

"Challenge?" Link frowned slightly. "What do you want me to do?"

Malon pointed ahead of them along the race track. "I set up the gates to jump, see? I was practicing on them earlier. I had some of my best runs! If you can beat my best time, I'll let  
you borrow another horse for your friend. I'll even give you a special surprise."

Link recognized the metal gates on the dirt track. He hopped back up onto Epona with a grin. "You're on."

pt. 6

"You have a cow in your house."

Link tugged his hat on and turned toward Sheik. He had heard the Sheikah climbing up the ladder to his house and scrambled to finish getting ready for the day. "I know."

Sheik stared at the cow then Link. "Why?"

"I don't know," Link said. "Malon gave her to me." He shrugged. Link had thought that Malon's "special surprise" would be a cow. It crowded his already too small home, but Link did not mind that much as he did not always stay in his tree house. He knew how to care for her from experience with the other cow, and the milk from the cows that Malon bred always tasted the best.

"But... how did the cow get up here?"

"I don't know," Link repeated. "I wanted to find out, but I was with Saria when Malon dropped her off. Do you want some milk? It's really good."

Link offered Sheik a half-filled bottle of milk, but Sheik shook his head. "No," Sheik said.

"All right," Link said. He left the bottle on his dresser; Link had gotten up early and eaten breakfast before Sheik had arrived. He pulled on his gloves and patted the cow on her side. He walked to his ladder and started to climb down. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" Sheik asked.

Link hopped off of his ladder halfway down and watched Sheik follow him. "Outside. I was thinking we could go to the town market near the castle."

Sheik neatly landed on the ground after he jumped off and turned toward Link. "It will take us all day to get here." He shifted and slowly brought his harp out from the pack he was carrying. "I thought we could play together."

"That sounds great," Link said. He patted the ocarina that he always kept on him. "We can do that too. Come on."

Sheik had to trot to catch up to Link, who had taken off toward the exit to the field. "Even if we run the entire way, it will take us all day to reach the castle market."

"No, it won't," Link said. "Just watch." The bridge shuddered slightly as Link ran over it with Sheik. Link finally stopped next to the large tree where the cliffs opened onto Hyrule field. He pulled out his ocarina and began to play the lazy tune that had called Epona to Lake Hylia.

"Link, no!" Sheik tried to tug Link's hand away from his mouth, but he had nearly finished the song already. "What'd you do that for?"

Link blinked. "Don't worry," he said. "It'll be better than last time."

Sheik narrowed his eye at Link and carefully put his harp back in his bag. "I do not want to ride on a horse."

"Why? We can get to the market in time to eat lunch," Link said.

"We could eat lunch at your home," Sheik said.

"It wouldn't be very comfortable," Link said. "My cow takes up a lot of room. Here, let me carry that for you." Link reached out to grab Sheik's bag, but Sheik held onto it.

"I can hold it myself," he said.

Link frowned and thought Sheik sounded upset with him. He wondered how to fix that, but Epona broke him out of his thoughts with a neigh to announce her presence. She slowed to a trot as she approached them. A rope attached Epona's reins to the reins of a shorter, dark brown mare traveling with her.

"I knew Malon would keep her promise," Link said. He greeted Epona and untied the horses. There was a small piece of paper attached to the rope, and Link pulled it off before he started to coil the short rope up. He attached the rope to his belt and read the note Malon had sent him. "She said that Ponii is really gentle and easy to ride. Come here and meet her."

"I do not want to," Sheik said.

"At least try to get to know her," Link said. He found the bag attached to Epona's saddle and pulled out two carrot pieces. "She'll be a lot easier than Epona. Give her one of these."

Sheik sighed heavily, and his bangs moved slightly. He plucked a carrot piece out of Link's hand and offered it to the mare. He kept his arm stretched out and his body as far from the mare as possible.

"It's not so bad, right?" Link asked.

"It is... wet," Sheik said. "I—oh." He blinked in surprise. Ponii had bumped her nose into Sheik in search of more carrots.

"Look, she likes you," Link said and smiled at Sheik. He dug into the saddlebag to find another few carrot pieces to split between Epona and Ponii. "Give her some of these."

"...All right," Sheik said. He took a couple of the carrot bits and stared down at Ponii. He let the mare eat out of his hand and patted her neck lightly when she was done.

Link kept one hand on Epona and gave her a few extra carrots. He waited quietly until he thought Sheik might be more comfortable with Ponii. "Do you think you can get on?" Link finally asked.

Sheik stared at Ponii. "If I try, will you stop bothering me to ride horses?"

"Of course," Link said quickly. "Epona's picky, but Malon said Ponii's really gentle. If _she_ throws you off, then I'll never try to get you to ride horses again."

"Fine," Sheik said. He carefully put one foot in a stirrup and awkwardly pushed himself onto Ponii's saddle. Ponii stomped one hoof, but remained still otherwise. Sheik gripped the pommel tightly and slipped his other foot into the second stirrup.

"See, you're on," Link said. He pulled two carrot pieces from the saddlebag and split them between Epona and Ponii. He wiped his hands off and swung up onto Epona. "Just relax and grab the reins. Malon wouldn't send Ponii if she would throw you off."

"That's not very reassuring," Sheik muttered so lowly that Link was not sure that he was supposed to hear it.

"Ponii will follow after Epona," Link said. "We'll start off at a walk so you can get used to it."

Link dug his heels into Epona's sides lightly. Ponii plodded along complacently behind him; she was a very patient mare for having such a tense rider. Link smiled as Sheik started to relax and urged the horses into a light trot as the castle gates came into view. He hopped off of Epona when they reached the drawbridge just after lunch. It had taken longer than galloping across the field, but riding the horses was still faster than walking.

"Do you need help getting off?" Link asked.

Sheik's back stiffened, and he turned his head quickly toward Link. He stared at Link for a moment before shaking his head. "I can get myself off just fine," Sheik said. He pulled one foot from its stirrup and awkwardly dismounted.

"Agh!" Sheik tried to take a step forward and stumbled to the side. Link quickly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sheik to steady him. He felt his cheeks warm and his stomach twist.

"Are you okay?" Link asked. "I forgot to tell you that it feels funny the first couple of times you get back on the ground. It'll be better if you just walk a little."

Sheik pushed himself away from Link and swayed slightly. He slowly walked across the wooden bridge without Link's help. "I'm fine," he said.

Link took the rope from his belt and tied the reins of the two horses together again. He trusted Epona to take care of herself and Ponii. "How was your first time on a horse?"

"...It could have been worse," Sheik said.

"And we're here in time for lunch, like I told you," Link said. "How about we go get some? It'll be my treat."

"I can pay for myself," Sheik said.

"I don't mind," Link said.

Link led Sheik into the crowded market. They avoided the throngs of people and the white dog running around and found a small tavern to eat in that wasn't too crowded. Sheik was silent while he ate. Link had to stare at his food to avoid watching Sheik, his face uncovered fully to eat. Sheik insisted that they split the bill. Link thought that his wallet was getting light as he tied it back to his belt.

"What do you want to do now?" Sheik asked when they were away from the tavern.

"You said you've never been to the Temple of Time, right?"

"I... well, I did... but you want to go there?" Sheik seemed disinclined to follow Link, so Link grabbed Sheik's hand.

"You should go there at least once," Link said. "It's really something. Big and white."

Sheik could see the spires of the temple rising over the trees and buildings that surrounded it. He tugged his hand free and walked next to Link instead of trailing behind him. It became quieter and more peaceful as they reached the front of the temple; they could still hear the noise from the market, but it was muted.

"This place always gives me a funny feeling," Link said. His voice lowered, but it echoed across the large room along with their footsteps.

"Then why did you take me here?" Sheik asked.

Link blinked. "Because you said you've never been here," he said.

"I could have been lying," Sheik said.

Link thought about that and shrugged. "Why would you? I trust you."

Sheik stared at Link long enough to make Link shuffle his feet worriedly. "What?" Link asked.

"Nothing," Sheik said. He walked away from Link around the temple. He examined the large carving on the back wall that Link knew was a door then walked down the steps to the alter. Sheik ran his fingers over the now blank indentations in the black stone. Link remembered when he had fitted all three jewels into those spots.

Sheik moved down to the raised platform with the triforce symbol on it. "This is where you appear when you play the Prelude of Light."

"That's what all the places you warp to look like," Link said. "How come you never learned the Prelude of Light?"

Sheik stared down at the platform for a long time. Link thought that he wasn't going to answer when Sheik broke the silence. "I..." He paused and shifted. "I slept in."

Link blinked and looked surprised. "What?"

"I slept in," Sheik repeated. "When a Sheikah turns sixteen, his name is put on a list. The list is broken up into small groups and at a certain time, an older Sheikah will take the group here to learn the song. It is a long trip, and everyone that is going leaves before dawn. Since I missed the trip with my group, I have to wait for the list to be redrawn."

"That's too bad," Link said. A smile tugged at his lips that he could not stop. Link pulled out his ocarina and showed it to Sheik. "I could teach you the song instead?"

"I should not," Sheik said. "I should wait for a new group to go with."

Link was watching Sheik carefully, so he noticed Sheik's fingers twitching against the strap of his bag. "Are you sure? I know all of the songs, and I can teach you any you want. It's even faster to get around than using a horse."

"...Okay," Sheik said. He nodded slowly and retrieved his harp from his bag.

"It goes like this," Link said. He put his ocarina to his mouth and started to play.

pt. 7

Link tore open the fresh bale of hay and tossed the loosened chunks onto the floor. He wiped the back of his forearm against his forehead and worked on covering the ground in hay.

"Hey! It's getting late. Why don't you get Malon and come inside for some dinner?"

Link turned to look at Talon. The portly owner of Lon Lon Ranch looked well-rested, and there were a few chicken feathers on his overalls.

"All right," Link said. "I'm almost done here. How about I meet you inside with Malon?"

"Har, har. You're a good kid and a hard worker. You would've made a great son-in-law," Talon said. He rubbed his bushy mustache and closed the door as he left.

Link finished getting the cow pens ready. He brushed his hands and clothes off and headed outside to the horse corral.

"Malon!" Link walked through the gate and called her name loudly. She had been checking the horses and was now feeding some sweet treats to them.

"Fairy Boy," Malon said and smiled. "You remember Ponii, don't you?"

Link patted the mare in greeting. "Yeah. Thanks for sending her. She was really great."

"I knew she would be," Malon said.

"Your dad sent me out here to get you," Link said. Ponii nudged Link's chest with her nose and trotted off to join the other horses.

"I bet he just wants me to make him dinner," Malon said. She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "I don't see how he's hungry. He probably just slept with his chickens all day!"

"Probably," Link agreed with a smile. "But at least we got a lot of work done anyway."

"We would've gotten more done if he pitched in once in a while," Malon said. "Oh well. I guess it can't be helped. I'm kind of hungry too. If you're finished, we can put the cows back in their stable, and I'll make us something to eat."

"I finished just before I came out here," Link said.

"Thanks," Malon said. "You've been a big help since Ingo left. Dad is supposed to go deliver a couple of boxes of milk to the castle in a few days. If you come back then, we'll have some money to pay you with. Or you could just stay here if you need somewhere to sleep."

"I'll be fine," Link said. "I have something I was planning on doing. Besides, if I stay here, I think Talon will keep going on about what a great son-in-law I'd make."

"Dad!" Malon puffed her cheeks out in annoyance and shook her head. "He's always saying things like that. He's already getting a son-in-law!"

Link blinked and stared at her curiously. "He is? Who?"

Malon's cheeks reddened slightly. She grabbed Link's hands and stared up at him in excitement. "I've been seeing this boy from Kakariko. I met him when he was visiting a cousin at the castle market, and I was there to see if Dad had fallen asleep again. He finally asked me to marry him a couple of days ago."

"Oh," Link said. He smiled and pulled Malon closer to give her a hug. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Malon said. "You're going to come to the wedding, right?"

"Sure," Link said. "I've never been to a wedding before. When is it?"

"Two weeks," Malon said. "We're having it quickly so Bim can move in here and learn about working on the ranch. It's going to be fun. We have a lot of space here to celebrate and dance. You can even bring anyone you want."

"Dance?" Link blinked down at her. "I haven't really danced since I was a kid."

"It'll be fine," Malon said. She pulled away from Link and twirled. "You just... throw up your hands and do whatever you want!"

Link copied Malon and turned himself in a circle. "Like that?"

Malon laughed. "No," she said. "You're too tense. You can't tell me you forgot how to dance."

"There's no music," Link said. He rubbed the back of his neck and scuffed his boot against the ground.

"Then I'll make some," Malon said. She hummed a tune that Link did not recognized and grabbed his hands. Her skin was sun-browned and dirt smeared; Link thought her fingers were almost as rough as his own. Malon swung Link's arms and turned them in circles.

"I'm getting dizzy!" Link slowly loosened up. Malon was only a little shorter than him, and it brought back memories of when he used to dance with Saria.

"Good," Malon said. "Now move your arms too!" She laughed and resumed her loud humming. Malon tossed their hands up and spun them both under their arms.

Malon's exuberance was infectious, and Link found that he was enjoying himself and laughing with her. He stumbled back on the uneven ground and dragged Malon with him. She fell against his chest and giggled, face faintly flushed.

"See," Malon said. "You'll do fine dancing." She stretched up and gave him a light kiss. "Now let's go make some dinner."

Link trotted after Malon as she tugged him toward her home.

pt. 8

Link choked and tried to blow the feathers out of his face. A wing beat rapidly against his chest, and the chicken shrilled loudly in his ear.

"In here... There!" Link put the last chicken in the pen and dusted his tunic off. A tall, thin woman walked over to him and handed him a small purse of money.

"Oh, thank you," she said. "I can't touch them myself... I'm so allergic. You're always so nice and picking them up for me..."

"No problem," Link said. He waved to her as he walked away and tucked his new rupees into his money pouch. Near the wall, he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He made sure that his sword and other weapons were secured properly.

"You find chickens to make money?"

"Huh?" Link turned around quickly and searched for the sudden voice. He found Sheik leaning against the wall of the archery gallery. Link rubbed the back of his head. "When did you get there?"

"A short while ago," Sheik said. He walked over to Link and plucked a feather from his shoulder. "I had some unexpected time off. I checked your house first and then I came here."

"Good thing I was here, I guess," Link said.

Sheik nodded. "If you are not too busy, I thought that we could do something together."

"I was sort of planning on going to see the Zoras today," Link said. "You can come if you want? Or I guess I could just put off seeing them..."

"No," Sheik said. "I do not want you to do that for me. I will just accompany you if it is not too much trouble."

"It's fine," Link said quickly. "I just ate lunch, but are you hungry?"

"No," Sheik said. He headed toward the exit of Kakariko village, and Link kept pace with him. "Are you just visiting the Zoras or do you have business with them?"

"Actually, I need Ruto's help to get into the Water Temple," Link said and walked down the stairs.

Sheik stopped and stared at Link.

Link reached the bottom of the stairs and glanced back at Sheik. "Are you coming?"

"Yes," Sheik said. He walked down the stairs, and they headed south together. "Why do you need to get into the Water Temple?"

"To return the hookshot extender," Link said. At Sheik's silent, blank look he continued. "Every temple has a different treasure it holds. I collected them all, but when I went back in time, I guess it didn't affect the temples, really, since I still had all of their treasures."

"And... you are returning them?"

"Of course," Link said. He kept near the rock wall and crossed the shallow river water there. "They're not really mine to keep. I just borrowed them. Besides, what if someone else needs them? They should be there, right?"

"I suppose," Sheik said. He carefully edged across the wall and followed Link up the river. "How many treasures have you returned already?"

"Let's see," Link said. He rubbed his head lightly, then fixed his hat. "I put the gauntlets and mirror shield back in the Spirit Temple and those things that made me float into the Shadow Temple. I had to wait until I was old enough to go back into the temples, so that's it so far."

"And your next stop is the Water Temple to return the... hookshot extender," Sheik said.

"Yes, but I need Ruto to help me, because she's the sage of the Water Temple," Link said.

"It makes sense that a Zora is the Water Temple's sage," Sheik said. "You have two more items to return after the Water Temple, then, correct?

"Yes," Link said. "Well, no. Three really. I have these heavy iron plates for the bottom of my boots that I got in the ice caverns. They helped me in the Water Temple, so I thought I'd give those back next."

Sheik stared at Link as they skirted a patch of thick, coarse grass. Link had become used to Sheik's stretches of silence. Instead of trying to fill the space between them with words, Link let Sheik contemplate whatever he was concerned with, and Link just enjoyed the scenery around them. He led Sheik to the short black gate and the odd-looking plant in front of it.

"We'll take this," Link said. "It's easier." He tried to step onto the large green leaves, but Sheik stopped Link with a hand on his arm.

"What do you mean?" Sheik asked.

"We'll... take this," Link said. "I guess you've never been on one."

Sheik sighed and explained patiently. "That is a plant. It is not going to take us anywhere."

"It's a magic plant," Link insisted. "I planted some magic beans here a couple of years ago. Watch, just step on it with me."

Sheik supposed he had done odder things in his life. None that he could think of at the moment, but he decided to humor Link anyway. "All right," he said. Sheik dropped his hand from Link's arm and stepped onto the wide leaves with him. Almost immediately, Sheik was forced to grab back onto Link and hang on tightly.

"Link!"

Link wrapped his arms around Sheik. What had been sufficient for one person was far too cramped for two people, and it twisted Link's stomach in knots. The magic bean plant was a little slower than Link remembered it, but it still jerked and zipped over the many ledges and islands on the river much faster than they could have walked.

"It's okay," Link said. "I've got you."

Sheik's fingers dug into Link's forearms, and Link winced. When their journey ended, Sheik slowly pulled away and stared at him with wide eyes. "What was that!"

Link hopped off of the magic plant with Sheik. "I told you it would get us here," he said.

Sheik made a sharp, cut-off noise and walked away from Link. He headed toward the small pond that Link knew connected the area to the Lost Woods. Link shuffled his feet and scuffed his boots on the ground. He tugged on his belt and adjusted it. His fingers twitched against his ocarina, but Sheik finally turned around and walked back up the small incline to Link.

"Do you know where the secret entrance is?" Sheik asked.

"I've been here before," Link said. He stood in front of the waterfall and took out his ocarina.

Sheik crouched down near Link. He noticed something scratched into the natural bridge that the ledge made. His fingers brushed over marks. "This looks like—"

Link began to play on his ocarina, cutting Sheik off. It was a quiet, soothing melody, and Sheik imagined that the sound of the small waterfall muted itself to listen as well.

"Let's go," Link said when he was done.

"What?" Sheik stared at Link as he hopped through the waterfall. He could just make out Link's blurry outline on the other side.

"Hurry!"

Sheik noticed that the flow of water seemed to be thickening. He took a deep breath and leaped toward Link. Strong hands grabbed his arms, helping to pull Sheik through and steady him.

"Sorry about the magic bean," Link said. "And getting you wet too, but it's not too much. It'll dry soon."

"I am fine," Sheik said. He stepped away from Link and walked further in. He stood at the edge of the rock path and stared out over the Zora's watery domain.

"It's really nice," Link said. "Jumping off of the waterfall is fun too."

"What?" Sheik turned toward Link, but Link had already started to walk away.

Sheik followed after Link. His footsteps were lighter than Link's and did not echo as loudly. "Where is Ruto?"

"Probably with her father," Link said. "It's not far."

Link led them up a series of long flights of stairs. He reached the torches at the very top and was nearly knocked down the stairs again.

"Link! Where have you been?"

"Ruto! Let go!"

Sheik made sure Link was not in any danger of falling and slipped around the pair. In the torchlight, he could see what he supposed was a very attractive Zora clinging to Link. He stepped back and decided to wait for them to finish.

"How could you just leave me here?" Ruto wailed. "You were gone for so long! That's no way for a man to treat his fiancée!"

"It was an accident," Link said. He tried to pry her arms off of him. "I returned your precious stone to you. I only borrowed it for a little while, like I said."

"You still took it!" Ruto tugged on his tunic insistently.

Link leaned back as far as he could. Ruto's face was still very close to his own, and her breath smelled like fish. "I was on an important mission for Princess Zelda," he said. "Let go of me before I fall down."

Sheik intervened before Link could carry out his threat. He supported Link so that he did not fall and gently pried him from Ruto's clutches. "Ruto, perhaps you should give your fiancé some room so he can explain properly."

Ruto turned toward Sheik, and her fins snapped in annoyance. "That's Princess Ruto to you. Who are you anyway?"

Sheik offered her a bow. "Forgive me, Princess Ruto. My name is Sheik of the Sheikah."

"Oh," Ruto said. Her fins fluttered and she fidgeted. "Well, I'm Princess Ruto. Now, if you don't mind, I was having a discussion with my fiancé."

"Of course," Sheik said. He turned toward Link, and Link could almost swear that he was amused. "You should be kinder to your beautiful fiancée."

Link looked slightly panicked. Was Sheik really going to leave him here like this? "But I didn't—"

"Unfortunately, Princess," Sheik continued and looked back at Ruto, "we came here on urgent business."

"That's what you're always here for, Link," Ruto whined. Her lips pursed in what might have been a pout.

"I'm sorry," Link said. "I'll visit again. I just needed your help to get into the Water Temple. I want to return this." He showed her the extension of the hookshot chain he had found in the temple.

"We were also wondering," Sheik added, "if there was anything you could do to help me travel underwater into the temple with Link."

"Why are _you _going?" Ruto looked like a petulant child.

"It may be dangerous in there," Sheik said. "Or something may happen. It would be better for Link to have a traveling companion. Do you not think so, Princess? Unfortunately, I cannot hold my breath for that long."

Ruto's fins fluttered again, and she looked unsure. "...I guess," she finally said. "I can go see if I can borrow a tunic to help you breath underwater." She waddled down the stairs, and Sheik followed her with Link.

"Wow," Link said in a whisper. "Thanks."

Sheik shrugged. "Is your fiancée always that... over-eager?"

"She's not my fiancée," Link said. He looked at Ruto to make sure she was not listening. "She was stuck in a big fish's stomach when we were kids, and I carried her out. She gave me the stone that I needed for the Temple of Time, but after, she said that she was only supposed to give it to the person she was going to marry."

"You still took it," Sheik said. Link was fairly certain by now that Sheik was close to laughing at him. "You should honor your promises."

Link and Sheik waited near the wall as Ruto went into a cave. Link recognized it as the entrance to the Zora shop. "I was ten. And I gave it back right after I finished Zelda's mission." Link sighed. "She's not always like this... She's really nice when she's not trying to remind me we're engaged."

"I hope you invite me to the wedding," Sheik said.

Link huffed. "I'm not getting married to her," he said. Link blinked. "Oh, hey... That's right. I meant to invite you to the wedding."

"Wedding?" Sheik's eyes widened. "Whose? Not... yours?"

"What?" Link asked. "No, not mine—Malon's. She's the one that let us borrow the horses. She's getting married in a few days and said I could bring a friend."

"...Oh." Sheik's shoulders dropped slightly, and Link thought he might have seemed relieved somehow. "If I can make it, I will be there."

"Thanks," Link said.

"Take this," Ruto said. She waddled out of the shop holding a blue tunic.

"Thank you," Sheik said. He took the tunic and examined it. It had sparkles woven into the blue fabric; Sheik looked closer and recognized the Zora scales.

"That's just a loan," Ruto said. "Don't ruin it or forget to bring it back when you're done."

"I will not," Sheik said. He pulled the tunic carefully over his normal attire. "Thank you, Princess."

"Let's go, if you're ready," Link said. "I guess we'll take the warp tunnel to Lake Hylia."

"Warp tunnel?" Sheik trailed after Link as he walked the short distance to the water with Ruto. They both dove in, and Sheik leaned over to watch them both disappear. He sighed.

"Great." Sheik took a deep breath and jumped into the water after them.

pt. 9

Sheik broke the surface of the water with a gasp. The moon was half full and provided just enough light for him to find the small island in the center of Lake Hylia. Sheik kicked his feet in the water and struggled onto the dry land. He could hear Link next to him as he spit water out of his mouth and tried to catch his breath.

"That... wasn't... so bad," Link panted out.

Sheik glared at Link and chose not to dignify that with a contradiction. Just because the Zora tunic gave him the ability to breathe underwater, that did not mean that it stopped Sheik from getting sopping wet. He dragged his body to his knees and pulled off the blue tunic with loud suctioning noise. His normal garb had been on under the tunic, and while it could not cling to his body any tighter, it did feel heavier than usual.

"At least there weren't a lot of monsters," Link said after a few moments. "Just some clams and stuff." Link was struggling to remove his own tunic; he had brought a bag with a change of clothing and left it on the island.

"It was still very...wet," Sheik said. He ran his fingers through his hair to squeeze some of the water out; his hat had floated off before they had even gotten into the temple.

"Well, it was the Water Temple," Link said. He stretched his arm out and pulled his bag closer.

"I realize that," Sheik said. He shivered in the light breeze and tried to press out some of the water weighing down his clothing.

"Didn't you bring any extra clothes?" Link asked.

"No," Sheik admitted. He pulled his knees up and kept his arms crossed.

"You can borrow something of mine," Link said.

"Did you bring more than one change of clothing?" Sheik started to tug his outfit off. He was going to get sick if he tried to make it home in wet clothes.

"Uh, no," Link said. He pulled the three pieces of his usual attire out of the bag. "But you can take my pants and shirt. If I warp to the forest meadow, I can make it home fine in just my tunic."

"Thank you," Sheik said. He was grateful for the dry clothes on the long hike home, and he stood to finish stripping quickly.

"No... No problem," Link said. Heat rose in his cheeks and he could not stop staring at the toned muscles in Sheik's backside as he changed. "Do you want... You can stay with me if it's closer."

"I have watch duty tomorrow night," Sheik said. He adjusted Link's pants on his hips; they were a little loose, but Sheik thought that they would stay up. "I should start back."

"Oh, you didn't have to come with me if you didn't have that much time," Link said.

"I wanted to," Sheik said. He pulled the too-large white shirt over his head. It was warm and smelled like grass. Sheik turned around and held his arms out slightly. The sleeves of Link's shirt hung to his knuckles. "I will bring this back to you later."

"Whenever is good for you," Link said. He scrambled to his feet, still clad in his damp underclothes, and reached his hand out. He hesitated and then lightly brushed his fingers over Sheik's bangs. "It's still wet."

"So is yours," Sheik said. His head twitched away a little, but he did not step back. "How did you keep your hat on?"

Link blinked. It took him a while to figure out the question. Sheik's hair was much darker when it was wet, and his eyes almost glowed in the pale lighting. "I... don't know..."

Then, because he could not help himself, Link leaned forward. His nose bumped against Sheik's before he found the other boy's lips. Sheik's mouth had been open slightly to speak, and he tasted like the lake water. His lips were chapped and cold, and both of their eyes were open. It was not the best kiss Link had ever had, or even the longest, but it felt like he had been waiting to do this for a long time and it tingled down Link's chest to his stomach in a way that none of the other kisses had done.

Sheik stepped back, and his eyes were much wider than usual. He bent over to gather his wet clothes with clumsy fingers. "I have to... I should... go."

There was a bright flash of light and smoke, and Sheik was gone.

pt. 10

Torches flared to life across the ranch to light the dusky evening. Cheerful music echoed across the field, and everyone was gathered around the large bonfire.

"Come on, Fairy Boy!"

"Malon, wait—" Malon reached out and snatched Link's hand, cutting off his protest. Link stumbled after her and was pulled into the large circle of dancers.

"You haven't danced with me all night," Malon said.

"Sorry," Link said. He let the person on his other side take his hand to fully join the dancers. Link watched Malon's feet to copy her steps; he did not want to trip and bring half of the circle down with him. "I was just... It was a really nice wedding. Bim seems nice too."

"Your friend would've come if he could have, I'm sure," Malon said. "Enjoy yourself in the meantime."

"I guess," Link said. "I was just hoping he'd show up."

"Well, he's stupid."

"What?" Link bumped into Malon as the circle suddenly changed directions. He stumbled to the side to try and correct himself.

"I said he's stupid for not coming with you," Malon repeated. "He doesn't know what he's missing."

"He probably just had something else already planned," Link said. "And I bet he's been to weddings before."

"No, I meant with you," Malon said. She tugged hard on Link's hand and hopped up a little to pop a kiss on his cheek. "He doesn't know what he's missing with you."

Link's cheeks warmed. "I don't know what you mean."

Malon laughed. "You've been sitting away from everyone, looking like a droopy-eared puppy. Or like Dad when I tell him he can't nap, because he has work. Cheer up. If he doesn't show up, it's his loss."

"Thanks," Link said. He smiled, mostly because it was Malon's wedding day. Truthfully, Link felt like it was his own loss that Sheik did not show up, but Link did not want Malon to spend the rest of the night trying to cheer him up. She kept a firm grip on him, and he danced through three more songs with her. Link even cracked a genuine smile by the end of the third song.

"Malon! No, wait—Malon. I'm going to get something to drink." Link tugged his hands free, and the circle closed back up behind him as he made his escape. He found cups and drinks on one of the long tables set up in the ranch and covered with food. Red-faced from dancing around the bonfire, Link wandered away from the throng of people with his drink. He found one of the darker corners in the ranch and sat down with his back to the fence.

"I did not know you could dance."

Link jerked quickly and nearly spilled his drink on himself. "Sheik!"

"I am sorry I am late," Sheik said. He sat on the ground near Link. "I had patrol duty today."

"I didn't know," Link said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "You didn't have to come if you were tired or anything."

"No, I... I, well, I wanted to see you." Sheik turned his head down to stare at the ground, and his entire face was obscured by darkness. He held out a small pack to Link. "Here. I washed them for you."

"Thanks," Link said. He took the bag and did not look at Sheik either. The silence between them stretched on, and it was far more uncomfortable than Sheik's normal quiet thoughtfulness that Link was accustomed to. Link peeked up at Sheik through his bangs. His stomach felt twisted in knots, and Link could not hold it in anymore; words came tumbling out of his mouth in a rush. "I really like you, I think, and I'm sorry if that made you feel weird, and I won't kiss you anymore, even if I thought it felt really nice—much nicer than any of the other kisses I've had—because I don't want you to feel weird around me, and I just want to be your friend at least, so don't—"

Sheik had been trying to speak during Link's extended and somewhat garbled confession, but Link had not noticed. Finally, Sheik had just given up trying to interrupt. He had made a frustrated noise and shut Link up by pressing their mouths together.

At least, that had been the idea. Sheik's high collar got in the way, and it felt scratchy against Link's mouth. His nose hurt where Sheik had bumped it hard, and Link dropped his cup in surprise, splashing them both with the remaining liquid.

"Sorry," Link mumbled as Sheik pulled back. He moved his cup to the ground next to himself and futilely rubbed at the dark, wet splotches on his tunic. "That was... I didn't mean to... Uh."

"Link," Sheik said. Link glanced up in surprise and saw Sheik struggling to fold down his stiff collar. "Don't... worry about that. Help me with this."

"All right. Why—" Sheik cut him off much more successfully this time. He tilted his head to the side to prevent their noses from colliding again, and with Link holding his collar down, Sheik's lips found Link's. Link closed his eyes, because he saw that Sheik's eyes were closed. His free hand searched for somewhere to go, and he finally settled it lightly on Sheik's side. It was a much better kiss than their other two, Link thought, and it lasted much longer. Link was feeling light-headed when Sheik finally pulled away.

"Breathe," Sheik said.

"...Sorry," Link said. He swallowed and stared at Sheik while trying to catch his breath. Sheik seemed disinclined to explain to Link on his own, so Link tugged on his collar lightly. "Why did you... You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to," Sheik said quickly. He licked his lips and shifted on the ground. "That was... I mean, you... well, you liked it... right?"

Link nodded vigorously. "I just thought I scared you away before."

"Don't be stupid," Sheik said. "I was just... surprised. But I think I like you too."

Link smiled. He felt a mixture of relieved and elated, and he tugged on Sheik's collar again. "Then I think you should kiss me some more."

Sheik leaned over to do just that; the moon was high in the sky before a strange noise prompted Link to pull away.

"Finally," Malon said. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past two songs!"

Link swallowed hard and stared at her feet. Somehow, Sheik had ended up in Link's lap. They both had lost their hats, and Link's tunic was nearly pulled up over his belt. "Uh... Sorry."

"It's all right," Malon said. She smiled widely at them. "This is your friend, right? He finally showed up?"

"Yeah," Link said. "This is Sheik... Sheik, that's Malon."

Sheik shifted off of Link's lap and sat straighter. He tried to smooth down his hair, which was pushed back so that Link could finally see both of his eyes clearly. "It is very nice to meet you. Congratulations on your marriage."

"Thanks," Malon said. "But I guess this isn't the best time to get to know each other, right? Why don't you two get out of here, unless you planned on staying the night?"

Link shook his head and stood up quickly. He dusted off his pants. "No, thanks. I rented a room in Kakariko before I came here... uh, the wedding was nice and congratulations again."

Malon waved her hands at them. "I'll see you later... Have fun together!"

Link blushed, and Malon laughed and made her way back to the crowd. "You can come with me, if you want," Link said. "If you don't have anywhere to spend the night..."

Sheik fished their hats off of the ground and stood up. "That sounds fine," he said. He took Link's hand and they headed out of the ranch toward Kakariko together.


End file.
